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10 Dec 2016 2:07:33am

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I have just been reading through these comments and was surprised to discover that some people felt David's words to be "dangerous". David is certainly not advocating "no medication" but is simply pointing out what a travesty it is, that the only system we have in place to "help" people who are feeling suicidal, relies SOLELY on medicating us.

But furthermore, the system we have locks people up and FORCIBLY medicates us, which re-traumatizes already traumatized people. I have heard countless people tell me that they never even felt suicidal until they were locked up and had all their basic liberties taken away. So I feel quite justified in saying that the system we have actually CONTRIBUTES to the suicide toll rather than reducing it.

David's suggestion that suicidal feelings should be honoured and respected as a legitimate part of the human experience, rather than being called a "sickness", has been a beacon of light through my own self-determined recovery. The layers of shame accompanying my own suicide attempts began to fall away once I was able to acknowledge that feeling suicidal was a legitimate response to my own life circumstances/experiences, and not something to be feared as a representation of "madness".

I am grateful to David on a personal level, but also for what he is offering to this crucial and well overdue discussion about suicide. Thank you David, keep speaking out!

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